Special Needs and General Shelters to Open Ahead of Irma

Residents will not be permitted to enter the general shelters until 8 a.m. on Saturday.

Hillsborough County is issuing a voluntary evacuation for special-needs residents located in Evacuation Zone A starting Friday, Sept. 8, at 8 a.m. Two shelters will be opened to accommodate special-needs residents only. Residents can confirm evacuation zones at HCFLGov.net/StaySafe or call (813) 272-5900. Hillsborough County strongly urges special-needs residents to observe to the voluntary evacuation notice.

The special-needs shelters will open at 8 a.m. and remain open until further notice. The special-needs shelters are at the following locations:

Strawberry Crest High School, 4691 Gallagher Road in Dover

SunDome at USF, 4202 E. Fowler Ave. in Tampa

The special-needs shelters are only for residents with medical issues that require electricity assistance or cognitive issues that would not be supported in a general population shelter.

On Saturday, Sept. 9, at 8 a.m., Hillsborough County will open 14 shelters for residents in Evacuation Zone A whose homes are vulnerable to wind damage, as well as evacuees from other Florida counties who have been unable to find shelter elsewhere. Below is the list of shelters opening on Saturday at 8 a.m.

The nearly 200,000 sandbags distributed so far is six to seven times more than distributed during any previous storm event. Materials will be available for Hillsborough County residents to make their own sandbags. Residents need to bring a shovel for sand bags. Each resident must provide their home address and sign their name acknowledging the receipt of 25 sandbags or less.

Residents can call (813) 272-5900 to request additional information.

Hillsborough County Closings
Hillsborough County offices and facilities will be closed Friday, Sept. 8, and Monday, Sept. 11.

Businesses Prepare for Hurricane Irma
Businesses are reminded to sign up for Florida Virtual Business Emergency Operations Center (FLVBEOC) to receive up to date storm-related information. Businesses will also be able to use FLVBEOC to fill out Damage Assessment Reports and post hours of operation during the storm. To sign up, visit http://flvbeoc.org/index.php?action.
Get Connected. Stay Alert.
Make sure to have a plan. Residents and visitors are encouraged to register for HCFL Alert, Hillsborough County's official public notification system for emergency and urgent alerts. To receive messages by email, phone, and text, go to HCFLGov.net/StaySafe. For more information, call (813) 272-5900.